Curiosity
-
Curiosity, in our present use of the word, is the vice which stands opposed to studiousness. Curiosity throws aside themoderating influence of studiousness, and disposes man toinordinateness in seeking knowledge. This inordinateness appears ina variety of ways. Thus: (a) a man may seek knowledge to take pride in it; (b) he may seek to know how to sin; (c) he may seek useless knowledge and waste effort which should be expended in learning what he needs to know;
-
Curiosity appears also in the order of sense-knowledge. Inordinateness here appears in an excessive love of sight-seeing;of neglecting study to gaze idly on a meaningless spectacle; of looking needlessly on what may occasion evil thoughts; of observing the actions of others to criticize and condemn them, and so on. If,however, one is intent upon material things in an ordinate way(that is. in a way that accords with reason) one exercisesstudiousness, not curiosity, even in the order of sense-knowing.
(d) he may seek knowledge from unlawful sources, as from demons;
(e) he may seek creatural knowledge without referring what he knows to God; (f) he may foolishly risk error by trying to master what is beyond his capacity.